Stagecoach West Scotland has become the first operator to take delivery of Alexander Dennis’s Enviro100EV midibuses, unveiling the 12 electric vehicles in Ayr today.
The 8.5m-long single-deckers are part of an order of 20 made by Stagecoach last November for its operations in Scotland.
The £5 million investment, which was supported by the Scottish Government’s ScotZEB challenge fund, will see the buses deployed across East, South and North Ayrshire.
With 354kW/h of battery capacity providing up to 285 miles range, the “big small bus” has a certified efficiency of 0.54kWh/km which is claimed to be world-leading.
Alexander Dennis says the new vehicle’s size means it is equally well-suited to narrow town streets as winding country lanes.
Stagecoach West Scotland has installed 21 new electric charger at its Kilmarnock and Ayr depots.
Stagecoach West Scotland Managing Director Fiona Doherty says: “Today’s launch demonstrates that we are delivering on our commitment to decarbonise our fleet across Ayrshire. These 12 new EV midibuses are an important addition to our service and they will serve communities in Ayr, Irvine and Kilmarnock in particular with zero-emission transport.
“This £5million investment comes on top of the £15.7million invested in the transition to electric in 2023, making bus travel in Ayrshire one of the greenest forms of transport available.”
The introduction of the Enviro100EV means Stagecoach has 60 electric buses in operation in Ayrshire.
Alexander Dennis President and Managing Director, Paul Davies, adds: “This is a really proud moment for the team at Alexander Dennis as the very first Enviro100EV is officially launched in partnership with Stagecoach here in West Scotland, supporting routes across East, South and North Ayrshire.
“The Enviro100EV is our brand-new battery-electric small bus that has been engineered to feel just like a big bus.
“We’ve packed a significant amount of power into our ‘big small bus’ making it the best-in-class by some distance, with its 354kWh of battery capacity and up to 285 miles of range, alongside its future-proof battery system and the next generation of aftermarket support from AD24.
“We know this fleet of small buses will enjoy a long, productive working life supporting Stagecoach West Scotland with their targets for a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035.”
